Bud Break

It's official! Bud break has finally come at the Cuevas Vineyard. The picture to the left is of the Cabernet Sauvignon buds at the vineyard. From the looks of it, the buds broke just a week or so ago as the vineyard is sparsely populated by the new bud and leaves.

For the last two weeks, a summer like weather pattern hit the area. Prior to that, rain had been coming down for weeks. As we write this post, the rain has struck again. Although we are only expected to receive a quarter of an inch, it is coming down hard with winds upwards of 25 mph. We do like the rain though as the area was pretty dry for the last two years and the more we can get the better. After March, we will not receive any more rain until October or November. Additionally, this is always a risky time of the year as a freeze could cause chaos in the vineyard, freezing the new buds and causing "shatter." As long as it rains, freeze is not likely.

In the next few months we will head back out into the vineyard to do shoot thinning. With all of the rain, the vineyard is likely to go wild and grow out of control. To maintain a good concentration and balance in the fruit, we will have to cut back a good amount of the shoots. Good times

We wish you a happy spring and will check back in shortly.

John and Lisa Shaw

Alma Sol Winery